Thinking 'bout THR News and Views
Mar 13-16, 2025
#WordsMatter
Tobacco, Smoking, and Nicotine. Some people try to make all three mean the same thing, and many already think of them as the same. They are not the same thing! While many of my readers know this (sorry to preach to the choir!), much of the public does not.
In 2016, the FDA waved a magic wand and took nonmedical products that contained nicotine but no tobacco and “deemed” them a tobacco product. It surprised me how many people embraced that. When I asked them why that made sense to them, they’d say, “Because nicotine comes from tobacco.”
I might have been a bit on the snarky side when, in 2016, I retorted, “Is maple syrup a tree?” “How about milk? Is it a cow?” The syrup and milk come from something else. How is this any different than saying nicotine is tobacco?
I did not use my curious voice when I asked. I used my angry, “I think you’re stupid” voice. My valid (to me) points and my tone of voice didn’t help anyone see things differently back then.
Perhaps… well, maybe probably… NO, it’s for sure… my biggest mistake was arguing in the first place. Fighting over the facts puts everyone on the defensive, and they are then stuck proving they are right.
I’ve learned my lesson. Never a bridge will be built, a seed planted, or common ground found when we’re duking it out until the end—our words, how we use them, and how we say them do matter. I didn’t seek to make friends back then. I did nothing to gain the trust of those I was trying to get to listen to me. My messaging was ineffective. I didn’t help anyone understand the difference between smoking tobacco and using nicotine in other ways.
While many of my readers know the difference between “tobacco, “smoking,” and “nicotine,” too many members of the public don’t. The current messaging from regulators and health groups doesn’t teach people that not all tobacco is smoked, not everything smoked contains tobacco, and not all nicotine products have nicotine derived from tobacco. Nor does the messaging teach about the continuum of risk.
Since 2016, I’ve seen more and more of the use of the word “tobacco,” when talking about non-medical products containing nicotine. This makes people think that all products containing nicotine are the same, with the same degree of harm.
How much nicotine misinformation is caused by innocent misperceptions spread by people who believe they are doing good things, and how much is disinformation willfully used to achieve an agenda at any cost? How am I supposed to be able to tell the difference? How does anyone tell the difference?
“Being honest doesn’t mean you say whatever you want, wherever you want. It means that what you choose to say is true.” ~ Veronica Roth
Looking at the large percent of people who believe it’s the nicotine that causes COPD, heart disease, and cancer, don’t we have to lean towards innocent misperceptions? Even my former doctor felt that it was the nicotine. He thought there was equal harm between vaping nicotine and smoking tobacco.
Today, I find myself wondering if some people are using their words in a way that guarantees that people don’t understand the difference. This makes me uncomfortable. That is a nasty thing to accuse others of, and it makes them look like they don’t care about the lives lost to smoking. But I bet they’d tell me they care if I asked them. Maybe I should ask them! Then, ask them on a scale of one to five, where that caring lies compared to other goals, such as preventing youth use or killing off the tobacco industry.
Since being deemed “tobacco” by the FDA, many groups have embraced this terminology and changed their messaging from “smoking” to “tobacco.” I watch the harm that it is causing. I find myself doubting the innocence of some of the public health and tobacco control groups. I find it hard to believe they are innocently embracing misperceptions.
Even though it made me uncomfortable, I found it relatively easy to believe they were purposely not clear about the difference between smoking and less harmful alternatives. I tell myself they think it’s okay to tell noble lies to sway policy towards a nicotine-free society. I think most of them are motivated to protect children, which is a good thing. However, I think some have put blinders on and do not seek to understand unintended consequences, including what the youth may use instead.
I also think that a lack of a clearly defined and universally accepted definition of what “addiction” is has hindered the conversation. I believe the word “addiction” conjures up horrible images in the minds of some people. Wouldn’t that make it easier to believe there is no risk continuum for nicotine products?
I also think that while the FDA has lumped nontobacco products under the regulations of tobacco, others should not use that terminology when describing nontobacco nicotine products. It seems to me that lumping everything together as tobacco turns into a convenient noble lie that harms people.
I don’t think telling noble lies is ok. I think the public deserves the truth. Doesn’t being truthful lead to being viewed as trustworthy? Doesn’t public health see positive gains if we can trust those who provide information?
Some people have been trying to correct nicotine misperceptions for decades. While many public health groups will resist people using reduced-risk products like vapes because they are not “FDA approved smoking cessation devices,” their confusing messaging about nicotine = tobacco = smoking means that some consumers and healthcare practitioners think that FDA approved nicotine replacement therapies are also harmful.
How do we correct the misperceptions? Are we trying hard enough to educate people? What would make them trust any of us enough to change their minds? How do we convince those purposely telling noble lies that their messaging is harmful? What must we do to stop shouting at each other, trying to win an argument, and move the needle to constructive, solutions-orientated conversations?
“Facts don’t change minds. Fiendship does.” ~James Clear
(The above quote comes from a commentary I recommend: Why Facts Don’t Change Our Minds. If you’ve read it before, now is a great time to review!)
A differing fact from an “enemy” (someone not in your tribe) is automatically not believable. A differing fact coming from a friend is potentially credible. That’s why friendship can change minds with facts.
Friendship welcomes people to your tribe and makes it easier for people to leave their tribe (and misperceptions!) behind.
Misinformation and misperceptions not only suck, they contribute to preventable early deaths. So go out there and “Love Thy Neighbors.” Leave no “enemy” behind. We have work to do! There are friends to make, minds to change, and lives to save.
Until next time…
P.S. Links from this week’s search that apply to today’s commentary on misperceptions:
What is an infodemic? “An infodemic occurs when there is so much information that it becomes difficult to sort good information from bad. It is a tidal wave of info that can be incredibly overwhelming. That type of information overload can make it hard to make decisions, find trustworthy resources, or use information to make good choices. Infodemics are still happening and are considered a significant public health threat.” (I learned a new word today! Malformation: “when true information is exaggerated or used out of context to mislead, harm, attack, or manipulate.”)
Yorkshire Cancer Research tackles vaping misconceptions on No Smoking Day. “However, data from Action on Smoking and Health shows that in 2024, a record 50% of adults believed vaping was more or equally as harmful as smoking, compared to 33% in 2022.”
Toward a Real Understanding of Nicotine: Addressing Misperceptions that Obstruct the Path to a Post-Cigarette America. “When public health messaging fuels misperceptions about the relative risks, it reduces the likelihood of those who smoke transitioning away from cigarettes. And when that leg of the stool is kicked away, the whole policy construct articulated in the Comprehensive Plan is undermined.”
Jeffrey Weiss “…But in the more than 15 years I have been involved in THR issues, I have only seen a different tobacco control. I have only seen groups that traffic in misinformation about THR in ways that bring to mind the ugliest industry tactics in the years before the MSA. …Improving the lives of adults who smoke and fighting against misinformation were values worth fighting for during tobacco control’s glory days – and they remain so today.”
False information about vaping risks stops young adults from quitting smoking. “Young adults who understand that vaping is less harmful than smoking are more likely to switch from smoking to vaping. However, false information about vaping risks is preventing many from making this change, according to new research.”
Nicotine and misperceptions…
Free educational opportunities:
Free educational materials:
Conferences and Webinars with misperceptions on their agenda:
ATNF April 15-16 - Panel: Correcting Consumer & Health Care Provider Misperceptions
FDLI May 15-16 - Panel: Risk Communication about Nicotine: Correcting Misperceptions and Targeting the Right Audiences
A Renewed Call for Preservation of At-Risk Government Data - “The directors of the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research (ISR) and the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) are emphasizing the critical need for preserving government data that may be at risk due to recent policy shifts.” (Contains information on how everyone can help.)
Clive Bates - “These regular Twitter/X Spaces discussions are really engaging and thought-provoking… well worth a listen. It’s a good cop / bad cop format - both jgitchell and JMacNYC going at the same suspects with different interrogation styles but the same purpose in mind.”
Jeffrey Weiss - “Sometimes it can be hard to recognize historic events when we are in the middle of them. I think we saw an excellent example of that from the CDC earlier this month…Of course, it is one thing to fail to recognize that something historic is taking place before our eyes. It is quite another to willfully blind ourselves.”
Stephen Murray - “Recovery isn’t a moral upgrade. Being sober doesn’t make you a better person, just like using drugs doesn’t make you a worse one. But that’s not how society sees it. This belief contagion is the basis of social disapproval…Harm reduction isn’t about nudging people toward abstinence—it’s about rejecting the idea that drug use makes someone disposable in the first place. If we really care about people who use drugs, then our support can’t come with conditions cause it doesn’t account for the spectrum of use.”
Skip Murray (yep, a shameless self promotion) - “That is fantastic news! (I hope your alert is about sharing news and not an ad hominem attack on Jeffrey Willett's integrity, Chris.)
I had the opportunity to meet Jeffrey Willett last year. I found him compassionate about people who smoke and genuinely interested in finding ways to help them. I was impressed by his years of experience in this space. He was knowledgeable, kind, an excellent listener, and had enough enthusiasm to fill the shoes of twenty people trying to end death by smoking.
I look forward to seeing what he accomplishes in this new chapter of his life and wish him well.” (In response to a LinkedIn post by Chris Bostic.)
Noteworthy News (pun intended, I love a good “dad joke.”)
Testing Begins for Community Notes on Facebook, Instagram and Threads. “We expect Community Notes to be less biased than the third party fact checking program it replaces because it allows more people with more perspectives to add context to posts.”
Update - Tweet(s) now displaying a community note:
(I’m not aware of any new ones)
YouTube Strikes Again: Grimm Green’s Channel Demonetized Without Explanat … “For over 16 years, Nick “Grimm Green” has been a pillar of the vaping community, creating thousands of videos and live streams to educate and inform adult vapers. But now, his entire livelihood is at risk—YouTube has suddenly demonetized his channel without a clear reason.”
Thousands quit smoking with BCP vaping scheme swap. “As part of the government-funded programme to reduce smoking rates, the scheme has provided 14,801 free vape starter kits to adults.
Public Health Dorset data reveals that 3,562 of those who switched to vaping through the scheme were smoke-free after four weeks.”
Tobacco Harm Reduction: The Right Path for Pakistan’s Smoking Crisis. “Recognizing the urgency, Minister of State for Finance and Revenue Ali Pervaiz Malik has reaffirmed the government’s commitment to protecting future generations from the dangers of smoking, acknowledging that tobacco harm reduction can help lower Pakistan’s health-related costs. The minister also pointed to global THR strategies that have successfully lowered smoking rates and reduced health burdens.”
Cigarette Volumes Continue to Decline. “Polyusage, or cigarette consumers consuming other nicotine products, is increasing as cigarette volume is decreasing, Bonnie Herzog, managing director and senior consumer analyst at Goldman Sachs, New York, told a room full of convenience-store retailers and others who sell tobacco products at CSP’s Convenience Retailing University (CRU).”
Do 'sin taxes' curb harmful behavior? “The Ohio Capital Journal reports that Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine is proposing to create a child tax credit and to pay for it with increased “sin taxes” on tobacco. According to one analysis, the tax credit is expected to produce big gains for the state.
Economists overwhelmingly agree on a second benefit — that taxes themselves on things like tobacco, gambling, and marijuana can reduce harmful behaviors, according to a survey of economists that was released on Tuesday. However, they said, those taxes would fall most heavily on the group that DeWine’s tax credit is meant to help — the poor.”
State House rejects tobacco tax increase. [ND] “After passing in the state Senate, House lawmakers rejected Senate Bill 2281, which was trying to raise the taxes on cigarettes by 25 cents a pack, as well as higher taxes on vapes and chewing tobacco, among other products.”
Albany should not push to ban nicotine pouches. “Albany politicians claim this ban is about protecting public health. But if they truly cared about reducing tobacco-related harm for these communities, they’d be embracing nicotine pouches — not banning them.
Nicotine pouches are smokeless, spit-free, and free of harmful tar and combustion byproducts. The FDA has already authorized the sale of certain pouches, recognizing that they pose lower health risks than cigarettes and other forms of tobacco.”
21,000% spike in MA vape seizures throws cigarette ban into question, ex-ATF official says. “Calculations by the Tobacco Law Enforcement Network found that Massachusetts police seized 279,432 vape units in fiscal year 2024, up from about 1,300 the year prior. Former New York City Sheriff Edgar Domenech, who is also a former ATF official who focused on tobacco and related contraband, told Fox News Digital the findings showed the illegal vape market is "exploding," and that when the Bay State became the first to outlaw flavored tobacco, it was a clarion call for cartels and smugglers to say, "[we’re] open for business."
DELON HUMAN | At 20, WHO’s tobacco treaty is failing those who need it most. “This week has marked the 20th anniversary of the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), a landmark treaty intended to reduce the global toll of smoking. But after two decades of costly FCTC influence and activities, the reality is grim: smoking still kills 8.5-million people annually, and more than 1.2-billion people continue to use tobacco.”
Congressional Bill Aims To Exempt Premium Cigars From FDA Regulations. “Back in January, the cigar industry notched yet another big victory against the FDA in the longstanding battle over regulating cigars. The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia shot down the FDA’s appeal, which sought to overturn the 2023 ruling by Judge Mehta that ruled against the FDA’s application of the Deeming Rule on the cigar industry. The ruling spared the industry from a number of draconian regulations, but it did not fully remove the FDA’s ability to regulate premium cigars. Today’s legislation aims to take that next step in excluding premium cigars from FDA regulation.”
Whitmer vape tax plan would ban most flavors as ‘contraband’ “The plan is meant to “curb usage and protect public health” by extending Michigan’s 32% wholesale tax on tobacco products to e-cigarettes and other nicotine delivery devices, according to a State Budget Office memo.
But a little-discussed provision in the governor’s proposal would also “prohibit the sale of vaping products not authorized by the US Food and Drug Administration,” which industry and health officials say would effectively ban all but 34 tobacco- and menthol-flavored products approved by the FDA.”
More news: Vapers Digest March 12, March 14,
A bill to make Oregon one of a small number of states that have banned the sale of flavored tobacco drew passionate support but also very personal objections during a public hearing this week. “Chief among the bill’s opponents is Sen. David Brock Smith, a Port Orford Republican, who told the Senate Committee On Early Childhood and Behavioral Health that vaping flavored tobacco allowed him to kick a 30-year habit of smoking that was passed on to him from his dad.”
Ohio high school students push for flavored tobacco ban. "These flavored products are marketed towards kids. We have cotton candy, coffee, cherry cola flavor... If we eliminate flavors, then that is one step to eliminate tobacco addiction in teens and kids," said Melvin. [a high school student]
Final thoughts…
I often struggle because I’m “different.” But today, I’m grateful I’m not like some people. I am thankful I am me. I am grateful for my strong sense of justice. I am thrilled that I understand it is wrong to discredit good people because you don’t like where their paychecks come from.
Notes:
I create these newsletters as a personal project. They are not affiliated with any current or past employers or groups I do volunteer work with. I receive no financial compensation for my efforts to create these newsletters.
My blog, Skip's Corner, has an X/Twitter account. My personal accounts are on BlueSky, LinkedIn, and X (Twitter).